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Last gasp goal by keeper spurs Sevilla on to victory

Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against Shakhtar Donetsk during their UEFA Cup soccer match in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday. PHOTO: EPA

Goalkeeper Andres Palop scored an injury time equalizer before Uruguay's Javier Chevanton added the winner in extra time to lead defending champion Sevilla past Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 on Thursday and into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.

The game was four minutes into injury time with Sevilla facing elimination when Palop left his net unguarded and moved up for a last-ditch corner. Daniel Alves swung the ball in and the goalkeeper headed home to stun the Ukrainians.

The Spaniards then completed the turnaround when Chevanton scored the decider from a low shot in the 105th minute.

"He had to give his son a present by reaching the next round as his boy has been ill in hospital for a week. And he has done so and even scored a goal," Sevilla coach Juande Ramos said of Palop.

In another stunner, AZ Alkmaar won at Newcastle 2-0 and the Dutch team went through on away goals, overturning a 4-2 first-leg loss.

Espanyol made it a perfect night for Spain, beating Maccabi Haifa 4-0 following a first-leg goalless draw.

Benfica were the other winners on Thursday, beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in Lisbon for a 4-3 aggregate victory.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, Shakhtar led on Brazilian midfielder Francelino Matuzalem's goal in the 49th minute, only to have the defending champions equalize with a low shot from Enzo Maresca four minutes later.

During a tense second half, Donetsk appeared set to advance, especially after Matuzalem set up Elano for the second goal in the 83rd minute. But using a desperate tactic, Palop kept his team in the match with his bouncing header, setting up substitute Chevanton to send the Spaniards through.

In Alkmaar, AZ got the early breakthrough they craved when Georgia's Shota Arveladze turned a cross from Danny Koevermans into the net from close range in the 14th minute.

The home team advanced when Koevermans scored a goal himself, beating the Newcastle defense to a corner at the near post in the 57th minute.

"It was a great performance," AZ coach Louis van Gaal said. "We had to keep a clean sheet and score two and we managed it."

The win maintained AZ's unbeaten home record in European ties, a streak that now stretches to 29 games.

Benfica advanced on two Simao Sabrosa goals. The Portugal international first scored from close range and Armando Petit's perfectly-weighted chip gave Benfica the aggregate lead in the first half hour. Pauleta, Portugal's all-time leading scorer, equalized the overall score for PSG with a glancing header in the 32nd minute.

In the 87th minute Leo was fouled in the area and Sabrosa collected his third goal over two legs from the penalty spot.

In Barcelona, Maccabi Haifa held Espanyol for 53 minutes but then conceded three goals in eight minutes and eventually losing 4-0.
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